Medical Support Assistant

Medical Support Assistant

The Veterans Health Administration was seeking a Medical Support Assistant for the VA Community Care Department at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain, MI. This position supports Community Care operations through telephone support, consult tracking, scanning, mail processing, patient communication, documentation routing, and administrative coordination for Veterans and care teams.

Location: Iron Mountain, MI

Vacancies: 1

Salary: $35,605 - $58,132 per year

Salary Note: GS-3 range $35,605 - $46,291; GS-4 range $39,967 - $51,960; GS-5 range $44,717 - $58,132.

Pay Scale & Grade: GS-3 to GS-5

Promotion Potential: GS-5

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized

Appointment Type: Permanent

Telework: Not available

Remote/Virtual: Not available

Travel Required: 25% or less

Relocation Expenses: Not reimbursed

Recruitment Incentive: Not authorized

PCS: Not authorized

Drug Test: Not required

Security Clearance: Not required

Position Sensitivity/Risk: Non-sensitive / Low Risk

Union Representation: Yes

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as a Medical Support Assistant in the VA Community Care Department.
• Provide telephone support and management for incoming calls related to Community Care consults.
• Obtain sufficient information from callers to identify the primary need and assist patients with questions.
• Query patients regarding current address and phone number and update information as needed.
• Interpret information and refer matters outside the assignment scope to appropriate responsible personnel.
• Receive and process incoming and outgoing mail for the VA Community Care Department.
• Open, sort, and route incoming claims, medical documentation, statements, and general inquiries into established categories for processing.
• Review incoming correspondence to determine the nature of the question, concern, or issue.
• View, sort, and index medical documentation to the correct Veteran.
• Scan records to the Veteran's chart or direct records to Patient Administrative Service for scanning.
• Assist in training new employees and updating procedures with experienced employees.
• Request records from vendors to help complete VA Community Care consult closure metrics.
• Maintain cooperative working relationships with coworkers, managers, and patients from diverse backgrounds and services.
• Communicate effectively, professionally, and courteously with customers and staff.
• Maintain information security and protect confidentiality and privacy of sensitive patient information.
• Demonstrate Patient Centered Care through effective communication with patients, families, visitors, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Demonstrate VA ICARE values in interactions with Veterans, staff, and stakeholders.
• Perform additional duties or tasks assigned by the Service Chief or supervisor to support efficient daily operations.

Basic Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Must be subject to a background/security investigation.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical examination.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Must complete all application requirements and online onboarding requirements.
• Must provide acceptable identification for employment eligibility verification.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel.
• Selected applicant will be required to serve a one-year or two-year trial period.
• Must have a high school diploma, GED, proficiency certificate, or equivalent qualifying education.
• No licensure, certification, or registration is required.

Eligibility:

• This announcement was open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees and all U.S. Citizens.
• The two-page resume requirement did not apply to this position.

GS-3 Qualification Requirements:

• No experience or education is required beyond the basic requirements.
• This is an entry-level Medical Support Assistant position that receives guidance from more experienced staff and requires frequent direct supervision.

GS-4 Qualification Requirements:

• Must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-3 grade level; or
• Must have one year of education above high school; or
• Must have an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Must be able to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner.
• Must be able to use and navigate office automation equipment and software, including computer systems, web-based scheduling programs, insurance collection systems, scanning software, multi-line phones, and electronic faxing programs.
• Must have knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of patient care.
• Must be skilled in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests related to follow-up medical care.

GS-5 Qualification Requirements:

• Must have one year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level; or
• Must have two years of education above high school; or
• Must have an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience includes interacting with internal and external customers.
• Experience includes establishing and maintaining medical outpatient and inpatient charts and administrative records.
• Experience includes verifying third-party insurance and updating insurance information in automated systems.
• Experience includes obtaining medical information from patients and coordinating patient care information and actions.
• Experience includes scheduling appointments.
• Must be able to operate computerized programs and systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information.
• Must have advanced knowledge of medical terminology to understand diagnoses and procedures and communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Must be able to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
• Must be able to work independently while performing a wide variety of patient support duties.
• Must communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and by telephone with internal and external customers.
• Must demonstrate customer service skill and ability to identify customer concerns and refer issues to appropriate staff for resolution.

Education:

• A high school diploma, GED, proficiency certificate, or equivalent qualifying education is required.
• Transcripts are required if using education above high school to qualify.
• Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Foreign education must be evaluated as equivalent to U.S. education by a recognized credential evaluation organization.

Physical Requirements:

• Applicants must pass a pre-employment physical examination.
• Physical requirements are in accordance with VA occupational health requirements for the position.

Required Documents:

• Resume
• Standard Clinical Resume Document uploaded into the restricted resume field
• Full resume or CV may be uploaded separately into the other document upload field
• Transcript, if using education to qualify
• SF-50 / Notification of Personnel Action, if applicable
• License, if applicable
• Professional certification, if applicable
• DD-214 / Statement of Service, if applicable
• Disability Letter, if applicable
• Cover letter and other supporting documents, if applicable

Benefits:

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases.
• 37 to 50 days of paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and federal holidays.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment.
• Potential child care subsidy for eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment.
• Federal retirement benefits, including a traditional pension and 401(k)-style savings plan with up to 5% VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance options.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on appointment type and work schedule.

Application Deadline: July 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Status: This job announcement has closed and is currently listed as reviewing applications.

This position was open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees and all U.S. Citizens. Applicants were required to submit a complete application package through USAJOBS by the closing date.

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